"It is an amazing behind-the-scenes look into the life of Manny Pacquiao. Poole had tremendous access while he traveled the world reporting and observing the fighter. The effort has paid off for the readers because the book is brutally honest. Poole takes you on a one-of-a-kind ride into the one-of-a-kind life of Manny Pacquiao."--New York Newsday

"Poole takes you on a journey to Planet Pacquiao and it couldn't have been a better read...I loved the book from beginning to end, it's a fantastic, entertaining and informative read...and I consider it to be as good as any boxing biography my hands have ever touched."--Boxing Insider

"The book is an amazing tale of how a reed-thin Filipino, who left his home in the poorest pocket of the Philippines ("The City of Dust") at the age of 15 to become a boxer, became one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world. I recommend it."--Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News

"This is good, one for the ages. It's a fantastic book. It's not the work of a ridiculous fan boy. It's quality. If you listen to me enough, you know I don't endorse books that are garbage."--Steve Bunce, BBC

"PacMan tells the rags to riches story of this remarkable boxer who has begun a journey which will see him transcend the sport. It is a fine biography."--Gareth A. Davies, The Daily Telegraph

"If you don't know Pacquiao's amazing story, Poole will open your eyes. If you know Pacquiao already, Poole will help you know him more deeply. And with a masterful guide like Poole leading you down the path, you'll enjoy the experience immensely."--Tim Starks, The Queensberry Rules

Monday, November 30, 2009

What's Wrong With Notre Dame Football?

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Pacman's Power

With speed and brutality, Manny Pacquiao has won seven world-title belts in seven weight classes. He may just be the greatest fighter ever. My story in The Atlantic about the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight last night.

Larger Than Life: The Red Grange Story (Coming in November)

Friday, September 25, 2009

A Cammy Award and Twitter

The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, an American Football Legend (Houghton Mifflin) won the Cammy Award at the CSU Media Festival. I had a good time at the event talking about the book and modern journalism. Also, you can now follow me on Twitter.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Worst Sports Column Ever?

Mark Whicker, a sports columnist with the Orange County Register, wrote a column (some are calling it the "worst sports column in history" and it has my vote) relating sports to the Jaycee Dugard kidnapping. It showed poor taste. Sometimes a journalist will come up with an idea that seems clever but it does not work; these misguided attempts at over-the-top gravity or immature humor usually only see the light of day in college newspapers or on blogs. At major daily newspapers there is usually a system in place to check stories, or at least there is the ability to run an article by a colleague. Whicker's article should have been spiked. An editor looks after the integrity of the paper and tries his or her best to bring readers the most lucid coverage. With the implosion of the newspaper industry, there are fewer editors. Without good editing, newspaper writers do not always elevate the discussion, which is their mission, and there is a creeping sloppiness in our papers. Humor can be difficult to pull off, especially in a daily newspaper. So the Orange County Register ran the column, which really missed the mark in many ways, and readers were mad about it. They wrote outraged letters. Whicker apologized, kind of. In an interview with the Poynter Institute, he did not blame himself, bad editing, or weak judgment. It's the Web's fault! According to Poynter, "...in a phone interview, he defended the premise of his column and suggested that the fast-moving, quick-to-judge culture of the Web was behind the wave of criticism."

In the column, Whicker noted all the sporting events and activities Dugard missed as she was confined to a shed behind her kidnapper's house. "She was not allowed to spike a volleyball. Or pitch a softball. Or smack a forehand down the line. Or run in a 5-footer for double bogey," wrote Whicker, who's been in the business for 35 years. "Now, that's deprivation." And here is Whicker's baseball-inspired kicker: "Congratulations, Jaycee. You left the yard."

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Travel Guide: USA V. Mexico, August 12

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

True/Slant: Log In

I have been asked to write about technology for True/Slant, a blog network. (Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal wrote about True/Slant here.) I am excited about my column, Log In. I have written tech stories, including articles published in the New York Times, USA Today, and Wired, for twenty years and I hope people will come to True/Slant to read my articles. Log In will focus on putting technology into perspective through reported journalism.

I will continue to write about sports and post items on In the Fray, and continue with my other journalism.